SumpThis: General Aviation Timeline

A SumpThis General Aviation Timeline

1975-1978
1979-1982
1983-1986
1992-1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001-2003
2004

Year

Undetermined

On June 10th, 1997, Robert E. Scovill Jr. flew his Cessna 172P Skyhawk back to his home base after having the aircraft serviced for its annual inspection at another location. About fifteen years have passed since he purchased his plane, and over these years, before every flight, Scovill performed thorough preflight inspections that included taking fuel samples to check for fuel contamination, but none of the many fuel samples taken over the years revealed contamination.
1997
NTSB records indicate that 134 undetermined engine failures occurred in 1997.

On August 24, 1997, with one passenger onboard, Scovill flew his aircraft over an area of Middle Tennessee where he made many steep turns around a number of farms then headed for his home base. At approximately 28 miles from his destination, the aircraft's engine began to run extremely rough for the remainder of the flight. He applied carburetor heat, but it was ineffective. He was able to land at his destination.
1997

On August 28, 1997, Scovill's aircraft was flown from his home base to another location to troubleshoot the rough running engine that occurred a few days earlier. Maintenance personnel were unable to find a cause and suggested that it was probably a case of carburetor ice. Scovill accepted this answer and performed a preflight check in preparation for a return flight to home base. On the return flight, during a descent out of five thousand feet, the engine began to run extremely rough. He applied carburetor heat, but it was ineffective. Eventually, the engine quit--a total engine failure. Fortunately, he was able to control the aircraft to a landing at the destination airport.
1997

Carburetor Ice

Carburetor ice and water contamination can lead to engine failure, but carburetor ice tends to produce a gradual interruption of power while water contamination tends to interrupt power with sudden abruptness.

1997
On September 5, 1997, in an effort to determine the cause of the rough running engine and the engine failure, more troubleshooting was performed on Scovill's aircraft. During the troubleshooting process, water drained from the aircraft's belly plug in sufficient quantity to be deemed the answer to the rough running engine and engine failure. Maintenance was performed to rid the aircraft of water contamination, but as future events will reveal, simply removing the contamination was not a solution to the problem. Hindsight is 20-20, and looking back to the water draining from the belly plug on this day, the obvious question is "Why was the water not detected at the aircraft's wing sump drains"? As of the date of this event, after some seventeen years of taking fuel samples from his aircraft's fuel-tank sump drains, Scovill never found water in the fuel sample cup during a preflight inspection using manufacturer prescribed preflight procedures certified by the FAA.

On September 26, 1997, Scovill flew his aircraft with no abnormalities.

1997 On October 23, 1997 Cessna Aircraft Company communicated by letter to the FAA several issues some of which are related to the design of the integral wing tank.

1975-1978
1979-1982
1983-1986
1992-1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001-2003
2004

On June 10th, 1997, Robert E. Scovill Jr. flew his Cessna 172P Skyhawk back to his home base after having the aircraft serviced for its annual inspection at another location. About fifteen years have passed since he purchased his plane, and over these years, before every flight, Scovill performed thorough preflight inspections that included taking fuel samples to check for fuel contamination, but none of the many fuel samples taken over the years revealed contamination.	1997		NTSB records indicate that 134 undetermined engine failures occurred in 1997.
On August 24, 1997, with one passenger onboard, Scovill flew his aircraft over an area of Middle Tennessee where he made many steep turns around a number of farms then headed for his home base. At approximately 28 miles from his destination, the aircraft's engine began to run extremely rough for the remainder of the flight. He applied carburetor heat, but it was ineffective. He was able to land at his destination.	1997
On August 28, 1997, Scovill's aircraft was flown from his home base to another location to troubleshoot the rough running engine that occurred a few days earlier. Maintenance personnel were unable to find a cause and suggested that it was probably a case of carburetor ice. Scovill accepted this answer and performed a preflight check in preparation for a return flight to home base. On the return flight, during a descent out of five thousand feet, the engine began to run extremely rough. He applied carburetor heat, but it was ineffective. Eventually, the engine quit--a total engine failure. Fortunately, he was able to control the aircraft to a landing at the destination airport.	1997	Carburetor Ice Carburetor ice and water contamination can lead to engine failure, but carburetor ice tends to produce a gradual interruption of power while water contamination tends to interrupt power with sudden abruptness.
	1997	On September 5, 1997, in an effort to determine the cause of the rough running engine and the engine failure, more troubleshooting was performed on Scovill's aircraft. During the troubleshooting process, water drained from the aircraft's belly plug in sufficient quantity to be deemed the answer to the rough running engine and engine failure. Maintenance was performed to rid the aircraft of water contamination, but as future events will reveal, simply removing the contamination was not a solution to the problem. Hindsight is 20-20, and looking back to the water draining from the belly plug on this day, the obvious question is "Why was the water not detected at the aircraft's wing sump drains"? As of the date of this event, after some seventeen years of taking fuel samples from his aircraft's fuel-tank sump drains, Scovill never found water in the fuel sample cup during a preflight inspection using manufacturer prescribed preflight procedures certified by the FAA.
On September 26, 1997, Scovill flew his aircraft with no abnormalities.
	1997	On October 23, 1997 Cessna Aircraft Company communicated by letter to the FAA several issues some of which are related to the design of the integral wing tank.